Short-cut to happiness

Dancing is the ultimate expression of joy. Whenever we’re very happy, we feel like dancing. On the other hand, in sadness, it is difficult to dance. So, if you’re feeling low, and someone asks you to dance, you probably give him a stare that means, "Are you nuts?"

Well, here’s a secret. The next time someone tells you to dance when you’re sad, jump at the invitation—and you will feel joyous again. You see, if you are depressed and you begin to dance, you’ll realise that your sadness cannot survive. Let me explain.

Just like happiness makes us want to dance, dancing too makes us feel happy. This is because dance and joy are inseparable, so sadness leaves when you start dancing. Indeed, joyful dancing is just another proof of the invisible connection between our mind and body.

Note that I am not referring to dance as an art form. I am speaking about spontaneous kind of dancing—one that is not premeditated and happens usually as a result of extreme joy or ecstasy. Such dancing transcends barriers of age, culture, geography and language. Anybody who feels joy feels like dancing. Likewise, anyone who dances spontaneously is bound to feel joy.

If you still doubt the power of dancing, I invite you to reflect on the ancient Hindu scriptures that describe our universe—indeed the entire creation—as a cosmic dance of God, the ultimate dancer. That is why we can’t imagine a sad God. We visualise God as always blissful, always celebrating. The most visible proof of this is found in Nature. Observe Nature, and you will see dance in its every movement—the flow of the rivers, the waves in the seas, the fluttering of the leaves, and the blowing of the winds… the entire creation is dancing with joy.

Best-selling writer Vicki Baum put this succinctly: "There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them."